#ska

INTERVIEWPauline Black On Why The Selecter Is Still Relevant Today

"I don't really think that history repeats itself perfectly," says The Selecter front woman Pauline Black on a call from Monterrey, Mexico, where the band was on tour. Instead, she notes, "history rhymes," adding, "I think that we're definitely very much in a kind of rhyming situation right now."...

Liz Ohanesian

ONLY NOISEMore Specials

Tonight I’m going to do something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I am going listen to a record, in full, and with all of the lights off, while doing nothing else, so help me god. This is how I used to listen to music. Before I had a smart phone, or a laptop, or a job. Before I had deadlines,...

Madison Bloom

ONLY NOISEA Message To You, Moody

There is only one album that pinches me awake from the downward swirling hellhole of a bad mood. It’s The Specials’ 1979 self-titled debut that does it. It is my only hope, and I toss it back like a shot of bourbon after a long workday.

Madison Bloom

LIVE REVIEWNot Blood Paint/Bad Credit No Credit

A friend of mine has been nagging me to see Not Blood Paint almost every week for the past two months. She lured me in with stories of their famously dramatic shows and musical dexterity. Apparently its members have a background in theater and performance, which was nothing less than obvious the...

Madison Bloom